Dirigible headlight



Jan 9, 1923.

W T SPAUGH ET AL DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT.

FILED APR 5 1922 2 SHEETS-*SHEET .2.

m m u f Z WM m ll atentetll titan. t ll lhltl'it "WY wi that lltAll-i'llmlt erarren: atria onerr, irra'enrneron, or coherence,

eneneri-i,

DIRJIGIBLE HEIHJLIGCHT.

application filed. a t-n 5, 192a. terial No. Marat.

ToeZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that l llinren 'l. "cihzxeei-ii and time ll-l. HAnmNe'roN,citizens of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county ofMuscogee and Eitate of Georgia have in vented certain new and useful ta-ow ments in lDirigible Headlights, oi which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in dirigible headlightsand has rela tion more particularly to a device or this characterespecially designed and adapted for use in connection with automobilesand kindred vehicles and it is an object ot the intention to provide adevice O'll this eteel character embodying novel and impi'oved meanswhereby a headlight is caused to turn in unison with the steering wheelsand in thesaine general direction so that the roadwayin advance o'f thevehicle may be illuminated during the turning of the vehicle.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a dirigible headlighthaving associated therewith novel and improved mechanism to cause aturning movement of a headlight when the vehicle changes its course oftravel and which mechanism is operatively d With the steering mechanismof the {in additional object of the invention to provide a 'dirigibleheadlight having novel and improved means for mounting the same inapplied 15osition whereby rattling oi? the headlight is prevented andpartihularl'y when the vehicle is in transit.

.e at urtherinore, it is an ob ect of the invention to provide a noveland improved head light adapted totnrn in the same general direction asthe vehicle to illuminatefthe roadway in advance ofthe vehicle togetherwith ineans whereby saidheadlight, when desired, ihay be held againstsuch turning movement or maintained in a straight-ahead ost it.

The invention consists in the details of constructions and in thecombination rid a. rangenient of the several parts of our ini p'rbveddirigib'le headlight whereby certain ell important advantages areattained and the device rendered siniipler, less expensive. andotherwise inore convenient and advantageous as Wlll he hereinafter more'ltully set The novel. features or our invention will hereinafter bedefinitely claimed.

In order that our invention may be the better ui'iderstood, we Will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation illusti'atiiig a dirigibleheadlight constrncted in accordance with an embodiment of our in ventionFigure 2 is a View in top plan with parts broken away of the structureillustrated in l igure 1,

l ligure 31s an enlargedfragmentary View partly in sectien and partly ain. elevation illustrating in detail the mounting for a lamp bracket orstem and the parts associated therewith,

Figure l is a viewin top carried by the shank, and

lligure 5 is a fragmentary view in per" spective illustrating the meansfor causing a plin'alityott headlights or lamps to move in unlson. i V

iisldi sclosed in the accompanying draw ings each of the braces B or afront fender ll of a motor vehicle or the like has associated therewitha vertically disposed and relatively short cylindricallor tubular 1nen1-her 1, havingits upper end substantially defined by an outstandingcontinuous flange 2 providing;- a head The upper portionoif the ineinher'1 also has extending laterally therefrom anarni 3; which is adapted tobe boltedor otherwise secured tothe brace its herein disclosed, myinvention is shown eniployed in connection with. the well known Fordautomobile and an attachment of the arm. 3 with the brace B is at theopening provided in the Ford car and with which co-act the lamp postwhich forms part of the original vehicle.

plan of the head llnsertable through the bore 4 of the 1nein ber 32andiroin above is an elongated shank 5 at a length to extend whenapplied, a

desired distance below the lower end of the member. The upper endportion ofthe shank 5 is provided with a head 6 which overlies theflange or. head ZhereinbefOre referred The opposite faces of the heads 2and 6 are provided with annular grooves 7 which reg ster one withtheother and in which be applied in order to permit the heads 2 and e tohave relative turning or rotary a suitable lubricating me diurn may imovement one with respect to the other with. a minimum of: frictionalresistance. It preferred, however these registering grooves 7 may beemployed as race-ways itor antidriction members oi" a ball type.Extending upwardly from the head 6 at diametrically opposite points andat the marginal portions thereof are the arms 8 having their upextremities connected by a cross member 9. The central portion of thecross member is provided with a vertically disposed sleeve 10.lnsertablc from above, through the sleeve 10. is the lower end portionof a lamp bracket or stem 11. This stem 11 is provided inwardly 01 itslower end. with oppositely directed lugs or outstanding shoulders 12which seat within the recesses 1% provided in the upper portion of thesleeve 10 whereby the bracket or stem 11 is held against rotationindependently of the sleeve 10. Threaded upon the bracket or stem 11below the sleeve 10 is a clamping nut or member 15 whereby the bracketor stem 11 is effectively secured through the sleeve 10.

The upper portion of the bracket or stem 11 has secured thereto in aconventional manner a headlight or lamp L of any ordinary or preferredtype.

The lower end portion of the shank 5 is threaded as at (land the portionimmediately thereabove is angular in cross section as at b. Engaged withthe angular portion 6 of the shank 5 is a rearwardly directed arm 16,said arm being held in applied position by the nut 17 engaged with thethreaded portion a.

The heads 2 and 6 are constantly urged one toward the other by anexpansible menr ber 18 herein disclosed as a coil spring oncircling thestem 5 and interposed between the arm 16 and the lower end of thememher 1. The member or spring 18 is of insuflicient tension to hold theshank 5 against turning movement yet of such strengtl'i to preventrattling or the like when the ve hicle is in transit. The arms 16 ofboth of the shanks 5 are connected by a. rod 19 whereby both of theshanks 5 are caused to rotate in unison and in the same direction.

Also operatively engaged with one of the arms 16 is an end portion of arod 21, the opposite end portion of said rod 21 being operativelyconnected with an upstanding post 22 secured to the rod 23 which, in aconventional manner, connects the spindle arms of the-front steeringwheels,

When the connecting rod 23 is moved as is well known to efi'ect thedesired steering movement of the front wheels of the vehicle suchmovement will be transmitted through the rod 21 to the stems 5,resulting i the lamps L being turned in unison with the steering wheelsand in the same general direction so that the roadway in advancelightsor lamps 112 shall be maintained against turning movement or in astraightahead position, a pin 21, or the like, is dis posed. through theregistering openings 2.) carried by the heads 2 and 6. When each oi theshanks 5 are locked against rotary or turni movement the rod 21disconnected so that the ordinary steering operation for the vehiclewill not be hindered or obstructed.

From the loregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a.dirigiblc headlight constructed in accordance with our invention isparticularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience andfacility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will alsobe obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change andmodification without departing from the principles and spirit thereofand for this reason we do not wish to be understood as limitingourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several partsherein shown in carrying out our invention in practice except ashereinafter claimed.

lVe claim:

1.. The combination with a vehicle body and a steering mechanismassociated therewith, a vertically disposed tubular member carried bythe body, the upper end portion of said end member being provided withan outstanding flange to provide a head, a shank insertable through themember from above and provided with a head overlying the head of themember, said shank being of a length to extend below the tubular member.means (Jo-acting with the lower portion of the shank and the tubularmember for constantly urging the said heads one toward the otherimstanding arms carried by the head of the shank, a member connectingsaid arms and provided with a vertically disposed sleeve" said sleevebeing spaced from the head of a shank, a lamp bracket insertable throughthe second named sleeve, said bracket being provided with outstandingshoulders engaging the upper end of the second named sleeve a clampingmember engaged with the bracket below the sleeve, said sleeve havingrecesses in which the shoulders seat to connect the bracket and sleevefor unitary rotation, and means operatively engaged with the steeringmechanism for rotating the shank.

2. The combination with a vehicle bod; and a steering mechanismassociated therewith. a vertically disposed tubular member carried bythe body, the upper end portion oi? said end member being provided withan outstanding flange to provide a head, a shank insertable through themember from above and provided with a, head overlying ltlil lilo llil

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atinee n the head oi the member, said shank heing gth to extend belowthe tubular inen'lher, means coaeting With the lower portion of theshank and the tubular memher for constantiy urging said heads one towardthe other, upstanding arins carried hy the head of the shank, alnemherconnecting; said arms and provided with a vertically disposed sleeve,vsaid sleeve being spaced from the head of a shank, a lamp bracketinsertabie through the second named sleeve, said bracket being providedwith outstal'lding shoulders engaging the upper end of the second namedsleeve, a clamping nut threaded upon the bracket heiow the second namedsleeve and contacting with the lower end or said sleeve to ntiaintainthe should of the bracket in contact with the sieeve, said siee'vehaving recesses in Which the shoulders to conneet the bracket and sleevefor unitary rotation, and means operatii'eiy ei'lgag ed with thesteering mechanism tor rotating the shank,

In testimony whereof We hereunto atha our signatures.

\VALTER T. SPAUGH.

CECIL H. tLetRRINGTUN.

